April 18, 2026, 3:06 p.mApril 18, 2026, 3:06 p.m
French UNIFIL soldiers in Lebanon. (Archive image, August 2025)Image: keystone
A French soldier from the UN mission UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) was killed in Lebanon. French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed the soldier’s death at X and said that three other comrades had been wounded and evacuated. “Everything indicates that Hezbollah is responsible for this attack,” Macron wrote. He called on the Lebanese government to immediately arrest those responsible.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam strongly condemned the attack. The attack is damaging Lebanon and its relations with friendly countries around the world. As a former mandated power, France has traditionally had close ties to Lebanon. Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun also spoke to Macron by phone after the attack.
UNIFIL said that soldiers removed explosive devices from a road in the south this morning. They came under fire, whereupon one of the UNIFIL soldiers was killed and three others were injured. According to an initial assessment, Hezbollah fighters were responsible for the attack. The militia did not initially comment.
The UNIFIL blue helmets have been monitoring the border area between Israel and Lebanon since 1978. There were always deaths and injuries in their ranks. A few weeks ago, two Indonesian soldiers from the UNIFIL mission were killed in an explosion. (sda/dpa)